A Normal Life
by atonalremix
Summary: Damon promised his parents that he'd give his kid brother Stefan a normal life, but after new vampire Bonnie Bennett rolls into town, he's not so sure he can deliver that promise anymore. (Stelena, platonic Defan, possible Bamon)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

I've been holding off on this idea for a while, and I can only hope that I do it some justice! Ever since they revealed Silas's connection to Damon and Stefan, I've been wanting to do a role reversal AU, and this just seemed like the perfect way to do it! Let me know what you think, and I hope y'all enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:**

The Vampire Diaries belongs to LJ Smith (and the lovely people at the CW, as I'm basing this off the TV show). I'm just borrowing their characters - and some of their mythology - for a story or two.

* * *

Life should've been more exciting than this. Damon had always envisioned ditching school, of living halfway across the country from his stifling parents, of just a life that wasn't part of the grand "Salvatore legacy." Against his better judgment, he'd enrolled in Whitmore College's prestigious master's program for Psychology a year ago. Against his better judgment, he'd said 'yes' when his parents asked him to act as Stefan's legal guardian. Against his better judgment, he'd encouraged his mother to take a chance on the dream dig site where she'd always wanted to work. While Damon didn't exactly get along with his father, he knew their work mattered in the archaeological community. Problem was, parents weren't supposed to ditch their children for their careers. Stefan was supposed to come home to two parents - to two people who loved him unconditionally - instead of the stupid older brother who'd been nothing but trouble.

Sure, Damon didn't exactly get along with his father, but Stefan meshed with the old man terrifically. They bonded over meaningless philosophical novels and had the same stupid taste in comedies, and Damon and Mom would just shake their heads the whole time. Maybe if Dad and Mom were still home, Damon wouldn't constantly feel like he was walking on eggshells. The whole point of being home, after all, was to ensure that Stef still had a normal high school experience. The experience that Damon had craved, to be more precise. Mason Lockwood and Jenna Sommers had made classes bearable (and okay, maybe he'd made out with Jenna a couple of times), and he couldn't have asked for better friends.

His high school experience had been colored by self-taught alchemy lessons, where Damon learned to synthesize alcohol from old, dusty books his father had kept under lock and key in the basement. (It was a hell of a lot easier than using a fake ID.) Those same books taught him how to manipulate time and space to find old keys, mismatched socks, and even the answer to the meaning of life (42). Those same books made him feel like even more of an ostracized freak because of all the weird events that surrounded him. Even Mason noticed after a while, and Damon was pretty sure that Mason was high most of the time.

So far, normalcy surrounded Stefan, and Damon was determined to keep it that way. Every morning, Damon would wake up early and serve his brother scrambled eggs, watching as Stefan scrambled down the stairs. Sometimes, Stefan would have time for a lengthy conversation – usually about his extracurriculars or his girlfriend Elena – but other mornings, Damon had to toss the keys and hope to dear God that Stef was awake enough to drive to school. It wasn't Damon's ideal life, but it wasn't a nightmare either. After Stefan left (he'd overslept this morning), Damon grabbed his own set of keys and headed into town.

He didn't have a seminar at Whitmore, so he could afford to run errands at this hour. Mystic Falls was a sleepy little town, about two hours away from Whitmore, a small, liberal arts college that specialized in the social sciences – anthropology, psychology, sociology, etc. Most of his parents' friends were university professors or faculty, so Damon had been raised by the ivory towers he disdained so much. Maybe it was his homing instinct, to stay in the confines of the tower, or maybe it was his increasing inability to "face the real world," but Mystic Falls had become home again, for better or for worse.

The women had started to gossip whenever he'd pass. As a teenager, he would've ignored them, told them that they really weren't thinking straight – but now? Now he smiled and pretended that everything was alright, because it honestly wasn't the end of the world if they found him attractive. It just meant that they'd forgotten his awkward years, buried in yearbooks and basement archives and maybe MySpace, if it was still functioning. To someone who wanted to escape his past, their selective amnesia was a blessing.

Damon had just finished running errands - grabbing groceries, getting the dry cleaning, and so forth - when he saw an unfamiliar face just outside the Mystic Grille. Her green eyes caught his attention first. She was about high school age, dressed in the mainstream uniform of a high school sweatshirt and jeans, but the second their eyes met, Damon had to turn his head. There was no mistaking her aura. Behind that innocent smile was someone who wielded immense power, and Damon knew she was in town for a reason.

So he sweetly walked up to her, pretending that he hadn't just gazed into her soul, with the charming SmileTM that charmed the church ladies. "I don't think I've seen you around before."

She blinked, glancing around for anyone else he might've been talking to, before slowly pointing towards herself. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Damon's smile faded slightly, with the realization that she might actually be as young as she looked. (_Dateline_ had better not be in his near future. He didn't want to be a registered sex offender before he finished grad school.) "I hear school's a pretty great place to be at this hour."

She rolled her eyes, not trying to hide them behind her curly hair. "I just moved here. My Grams and I are getting the paperwork sorted out."

Oh. Well, that explained absolutely nothing. Damon studied her more intently now, trying to figure out who she might be related to... "Aunt Sheila?" He ventured, squinting to determine the resemblance better. "Is she your grandma?"

She blinked back surprise. "Uh, yeah. How'd you know?"

"You have the same glare." He laughed, not unkindly, as he folded his arms. He remembered many an evening where Mrs. Bennett would interfere an evening, just because he happened to look at her funny once. "Plus I kind of grew up with her. Funny how she never mentioned a granddaughter before now..."

He would've liked to know her, considering that she looked pretty close in age to Stefan. They could've gone on play dates! Heck, they still could, considering that Damon called all of Stef's extracurriculars "play dates."

Her uneasiness gave way to the first genuine smile he'd seen on her face. "It kind of happens."

"Kind of," Damon repeated, even gesturing with air quotes.

"Yes!" She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand in a feigned, polite manner. "Oh, um, I'm Bonnie. It's nice to meet you, Mr...?"

"Damon - and don't you _think_ of calling me Mister again. I'm too young for that." He grinned wryly, knowing well that it might've just been the Southern Belle in Bonnie. As much as he hated Mystic Falls and all it represented, the South knew how to raise a kid with manners. Yet, he didn't hold out his hand to her.

When their eyes met again, it was she who winced - and Damon almost felt bad for the pain he inflicted on her. Almost.

"Next time you're in school, Bonbon," he said casually, turning to face the door, "You'd better not play that innocent game again-"

She shrieked silently, clutching her forehead as she collapsed to the ground. "_Warlock._"

"Actually, I prefer the term _wizard_. You're welcome, by the way," he said with a slight flourish, bowing mockingly to her before he grabbed his keys out of his pocket and headed back to his car.

If it weren't for the multiple aneurisms, she would've ripped his throat out. He knew that bloodthirsty look better than anyone else, considering it had almost happened to him before. The second he revved the engine up, he released his hold on her - and watched from his rear-view mirror as she bitterly rubbed her temples. Maybe this wasn't his ideal life, but hey - things were just about to get interesting. 

* * *

The last time supernatural creatures - ones other than the Salvatores - had taken up residence, Dad had driven them away with magic. Real, honest-to-goodness magic. He'd solemnly promised Damon that under no circumstances should he reveal the "grand legacy" to Stefan. At the time, Damon was in high school, and Mason Lockwood had just narrowly avoided killing someone.

"_Your brother deserves a normal life_," Dad had said, shaking to his knees as he released the last ward. While Dad had never been sickly, the sight had almost brought Damon to tears. "_Promise me that much._"

Damon had never seen eye to eye with his father, but he couldn't help thinking, as he stared at this strong man who'd raised him, that his dad was worthy of respect. So Damon had locked up the old, dusty volumes after scanning them into his tablet; he'd created code words to hide his recipes; and he'd even cut off contact with the Cult Studies program Mom had run at Whitmore. Mom hadn't verbally expressed Dad's wish, but Damon could see it in her eyes. She wanted a normal life for them both - it was just a shame that Damon had gotten wrapped up in it so early.

With Bonnie's arrival, Damon could sense that Stefan would become entangled in this crazy life too. Damon needed to prepare for that moment and ensure that he could fight. Problem was, Stefan was taking forever to get home.

Damon stared up impatiently at the clock, hissing at it to tick faster because _dammit_, he didn't want to burst that bubble too late in the evening. Stefan would accuse him of being drunk! Damon didn't fancy a conversation that ended with yet another recommendation for Alcoholics Anonymous, and frankly, the normal life Dad desired wasn't going to happen if Miss Bonnie stayed in town with her supposed grandma! Was she even related to Aunt Sheila, or did she just compel the poor old lady into the deal? (If it was the latter, Bonnie would be answering to a lot more than popped brain vessels.)

About half an hour later than expected, Stefan walked through the back door. Damon could sense him before he saw him - which wasn't hard, even with Stefan's wild mane of blond hair.

Damon slammed down his tea mug so hard it almost broke. "Where were you?"

Stefan stared blankly, just as his girlfriend walked in after him. "Um..."

Elena glanced up, from the bewildered Stefan to the furious Damon, before she jumped between them. Holding out her arms defensively, she elaborated, "He was with me, okay? I promise, we weren't even making out or anything. We got held up with school stuff."

"School stuff...?" Damon tried to recall Stefan's school clubs again. The kid was a member of Mock Trial, did some stuff with Student Government, and tutored English to underclassmen. Maybe they had a meeting? That was plausible. Stefan never could say no to other people. "Like club stuff?"

His confusion must've been obvious, because Stefan's confusion had given way to sheer amusement. "Yes, like club stuff. You know, the activities that'll help me get into a good college?"

Elena stifled a giggle, hiding her amusement behind her long, chestnut-brown hair. "We were planning the annual car wash. Caroline wanted us to-"

Damon held up a hand in defeat. "I don't want to know. Not after the Cuddlebuddies."

Stefan snorted softly. "You asked, might I remind you."

Okay, so Bonnie hadn't quite infected them yet. This was a good start. "Speaking of reminders..." Damon rummaged through their tea cabinet before fishing out an envelope of vervain tea. He'd synthesized it while waiting for Stefan: it was a blend of vervain, blackberries, black currants, and rooibus - all flavors Elena enjoyed on a regular basis. While he could just blend extra vervain in Stefan's coffee, he had to be craftier when it came to Stefan's girlfriend. "I came across this the other day. Figured you might enjoy some."

Elena cautiously accepted the bag of tea and stuffed it into her purse. "Thanks, but my birthday was three months ago."

Stefan gave Damon a confused look. "Since when were you interested in herbal tea? I thought Earl Grey and Chai were about it."

"Siiiince one of my classmates brought it back for me, and I figured I should spread the wealth." Damon took another sip of his vervain-spiked tea. Sometimes, it sucked to have a muggle for a kid brother. "It'd just go to waste in our house, right?"

"Eh." Stefan shrugged. Damon wasn't exactly lying - Stefan didn't drink much tea either, and what he did drink was mostly limited to the green varieties. "Happy late birthday, El."

"Thanks." She lightly squeezed Damon's hand. "Next thing I know, you'll be signing us up for a Tea of the Month club or something."

"Don't give him ideas," Stefan called, turning towards the staircase. "You name it, he's probably gotten it for a present..."

"Hey!" Damon pointed an accusatory finger at them. "I'll have you know, that Fruit of the Month club was genius, even if you still owe me for all those kiwis you devoured."

Elena couldn't hide her laughter anymore, even as she was dashing up the staircase with her boyfriend. "We sent you an IOU! Jeremy did too, when you bought those cookies over."

Damon rolled his eyes. "It's _Jeremy_. The kid could conquer the world and I probably wouldn't care." Plus, the kid was an honest taste-tester. If a recipe didn't work, Jeremy would always be vocal about it, compared to Stefan's feigned politeness. Honesty always won points in Damon's (meager) book.

Stefan scowled. "So when I eat your kiwis, you suddenly start to care?"

"Love you too, baby bro."

Elena waved, dragging Stefan into his room. The door slammed shut behind them, and for the first time that day, Damon relaxed his guard. While he wasn't exactly envious of his kid brother's love life, he also knew it was probably what kept Stef sane.

He stared down at his to-do list. '_Visit Uncle Grayson's and Aunt Miranda's graves_' was highlighted in yellow, and even though he'd planned on asking the Gilbert kids to join them... part of him selfishly wanted to visit them on his own. Uncle Grayson had helped him with his grad school proposal, and Aunt Miranda had guided him when the world felt crazy and confusing. A world without them sucked, and he had no clue how to even begin to navigate it.

It only felt like yesterday that Damon got that fateful, tearful phone call from Jenna. Jenna had been hysterically sobbing, with an urgency in her voice that she had never expressed before, when she asked Damon to pick her up from the airport.

"_What? Why?_" He'd remembered asking her, glancing up at the clock and wondering why she was up at this hour.

"_Grayson and Miranda..._" She'd hiccuped, unable to finish that sentence. "_G-Grayson and sis... they... the bridge..._"

His heart had sunk. "_Don't you dare finish that sentence._"

"_They're _dead_, Damon._"

He'd almost hung up on her, because she had to be joking, because he would just call them on the phone and Uncle Grayson would laugh at him for being so stupid, and because the idea was so preposterous that it couldn't possibly be true.

"_They're..._" He swallowed an incoming breath. "_I-I'll do it. What time does your flight come in?_"

The rest of their conversation had been eerily robotic, about times and flights and terminals, and Damon would laugh at its surreal nature later. How they had managed to keep their voices even, he wasn't sure. Whatever he was feeling, Damon knew Elena and Jeremy had been hit by it a hundred times harder. With Elena, he felt as if he were walking on eggshells with her. It got easier every month, with the jokes and the bags of tea and so forth. With Jeremy, Damon wasn't sure if they'd ever regain their former dynamic. He just wanted to protect Jeremy from the world, which was getting pretty hard when Baby Gilbert started dealing drugs.

No matter how many times Damon burned that stash - or synthesized it into something harmless - the kid just found more. Damon took one last look at his to-do list, and then scribbled one last item.

_□ Go check up on Jeremy._

* * *

Elena and Stefan were old enough to be left home alone for a couple of hours. Damon knew full well what they were up to - anyone with half a brain did - but he would be a terrible brother if he interrupted them.

Which, of course, was why he casually knocked on their door and called, "I'm gonna check up on Jeremy! Do you lovebirds need anything?"

Stefan moaned. Loudly. "GO AWAY, DAMON."

"Aw, love you too," he cooed at Stefan, wishing that his kid brother could see the smirk on his face. "I'll be back in an hour or so - and no, Elena can't spend the night over. She'll miss Taco Night with Jenna otherwise."

He heard very audible groans from the bed ("nooooo, not Taco Night!" "Elena, do you even LIKE Tacos?") as he headed downstairs. Some nights, he swore to God, his family was more entertaining than network television.

The Gilbert house was about a fifteen minute drive from the Salvatore Manor. Some nights - like the night he drove Jenna from the airport - he wished they lived closer. It would've made their lives a lot easier, but at least they were in the same town. Plus, checking up on Jeremy was a great excuse for not working on his thesis. There was only so many ways he could rewrite something before it looked like complete and utter gibberish.

Casually parking in the driveway, he got out and knocked on the front door. He could hear the sound of someone stampeding down the staircase - Jeremy, no doubt - and a "Coming! Hang on a minute!"

He could wait. It wasn't as if he had anywhere to be at this hour, and if Jeremy didn't answer, he could count on Jenna (and a trusty bottle of whiskey).

Then the door swung open, leaving Damon to stare straight at Miss Bonnie Bennett.

"Good evening, Mr. _Salvatore_," she greeted, giving him the same mocking bow he'd given only hours ago. "It's so good to see you again."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

Normally I don't update super fast like this (at best, maybe it'd happen once every two months!) so this is honestly a pleasant surprise for me. While this is certainly a role reversal AU - with Damon as a warlock and Bonnie as a vampire - some things will definitely remain the same, and some things may be changed for better or worse. I'm glad to hear that this is intriguing! I hope you guys enjoy what's to come.

* * *

What...? How...? More importantly, why?

Damon stared blankly at her, trying to formulate some kind of witty response, but words were escaping him. He knew she wanted something in this town - there was no other reason she'd be here - but what would she find at the Gilberts'? Uncle Grayson had left most of his vampire hunting gear at the lake house, back when Elena first entered high school. Only Damon and Elena's uncle John had the keys - and frankly, Damon wasn't keen on letting Bonnie waltz into the safehouse. Not for some dinky stakes and some old crossbows. Bonnie had to take one look at his face before she burst into giggles.

"Cat got your tongue?" She asked, leaning forward and oh-so-seductively reaching for the gunblade necklace around his neck.

Was a centuries-old high school student really hitting on him? Damon instantly recoiled. "Cat doesn't want to end up on _Dateline_, thank you very much."

"Why would you ever end up on Dateline?"

As always, Jeremy Gilbert had the world's worst timing. Appearing right behind Bonnie, he casually approached Damon as if everything were normal. Even now, dressed in a black hoodie and ragged jeans that reminded Damon of Linkin Park and terrible high school life choices, Jeremy was a welcome distraction. Grinning at Damon, he whispered, "That's Bonnie. She says she really likes me."

Damon only had to take one look at Jeremy's eyes before he internally groaned. If Elena and Stefan starred on network television, Jeremy and Bonnie would star in their very own HBO show - and Jeremy was way too young for sex and violence. Mostly sex, but violence for good measure. Protectively taking Jeremy's arm, Damon narrowed his eyes at Bonnie. "It's a long story. Better question, why is she here?"

Bonnie frowned innocently. "Why, Damon, I thought we were friends." Maybe if she didn't work some mind magic on his little brother!

Jeremy's confusion only gave way to bewilderment. "How did you two even meet?"

Damon started, "An even longer sto-"

"He helped me with directions when I first got here," Bonnie sweetly finished for him.

"Okay, maybe not that long."

Jeremy snorted, looking back and forth between them as if they were an enthralling tennis match. "Are you doing that thing again where you're trying to protect me because of what happened with Vicki?"

"Nnno?" Not quite. Vicki Donovan was a hot mess - no pun intended - because of the circumstances of their relationship (an older girl angling for easy drug access). If Jeremy attempted to pursue anything with Bonnie, it would also be a hot mess that would end with a premature death or two. Damon wasn't so sure his heart could handle it. "I just need to talk to Bonbon for a minute, okay? Tell Jenna that Stefan and I are coming over for Taco Night."

"Ugh," Jeremy groaned, turning to head back towards the kitchen. "I swear, you and Elena are the only ones that actually _enjoy_ it."

Damon waited until the kid stomped out of sight (and hearing range) before he hissed, "Seriously, what are you doing here?"

"I heard the kid's parents were vampire hunters," Bonnie said, folding her arms as she studied Damon up and down. "Just making sure that they're not in the business either. It wouldn't be all fun and games if they tried to hunt me down the same way you did."

"They weren't exactly Van Helsing." Damon narrowed his eyes. "They hated them, yeah, but they wouldn't go out of their way either." It was more of a 'if a vamp attacks, then stake them on sight' kind of thing. "Does this mean you're not trying to kill them?"

"I don't exactly believe in the killing game... but I might make an exception for you." When she directed all of the intensity of those green eyes at him, he could hear his heart racing just a smidge faster. Damon would've felt guilty, had he not already hated vampires to the core.

If she was one of those hippie vegetarian types, he didn't exactly need her in his life. They weren't much better than the real deal. "So that's it? You're here, in this sleepy little town, just to make sure some doctor's kids aren't into the vampire game?"

Her face held the tiniest hints of a smile. "Sounds about right."

"What kind of idiot do you take me for, Bennett? If that's even your real name?"

Her smile only grew wider. "I see you're quick on the uptake. I expected no less from Zachary's oldest boy."

"You knew Dad...?" Damon's voice grew quiet. Dad had never mentioned her. There was no record of her in the Grimoire. Hell, he couldn't even remember a dusty photograph. "How...?"

Just then, Jeremy returned with a slightly disgruntled expression. "Jenna says you'll have to help her. She almost burned the water. Again."

Dammit Jenna! Just when the questions started getting good, her poor cooking skills had to interrupt him. Bonnie couldn't hide her relief - not when it was as plain as day - but Damon's smirk only soured as he headed inside. "How does your aunt even manage _that_?" He grumbled, mostly to himself. "Must not be cleaning the pots right..."

"Hey!" He could hear Jenna call from the kitchen. "I heard that, Day!"

"Day?" Bonnie looked quizzically at him. "That a family nickname?"

"Kind of." Jeremy's frown only intensified, no doubt from Bonnie's newfound interest in his older brother. "Damon's family, but he's not blood related to us. He and Jenna were really close, and he and my dad were close, so they just kind of started being family too."

Had it come from any other emo teenager, the explanation might have sounded bitter. Despite Jeremy's appearance, grumpy expression and all, his respectful tone spoke volumes. The kid loved Damon, even when it seemed like Day wanted his girl.

So Damon lightly elbowed his kid brother. "Hey. Life too hard for you again?"

"Nnnno," Jeremy responded, rolling his eyes in the over-the-top manner only teenagers could pull off. "It's just... she bought some stuff from me, and I kind of ran out so I brought her back here and then you just kind of came in and..."

"She bought 'some stuff' from you."

Damon must've said it more harshly than he realized, because Jeremy's eyes widened before the kid ducked his head. "Nevermind. You wouldn't get it, anyways."

"Try me." Damon pulled on the kid's arm even harder, turning so that he could slam the poor kid against the wall. "Let's start this conversation again. _What_ did Bonnie Bennett buy from you today?"

"Iiiiiiii think I'm going to go." Bonnie gestured awkwardly towards the door. "I can always come back later-"

"DON'T." Both shouted, in an eerie unison that didn't quite match their rage. Damon extended an arm - not that he needed to - and calmly waved a hand in her face. Bonnie staggered back, leaning on the nearest table for support.

Jeremy instinctively reached for her, only to be stopped by Damon's iron grip. "Whoa. A-are you okay?"

"She'll be fine," Damon's voice deepened as a growl escaped his lips. "Again, what did she buy? Because I swear to god, if it was pharmaceuticals..."

"It wasn't," Bonnie interjected, with genuine concern in her voice. "I just compelled him to think it was."

Damon turned his head to face her. "Oh?"

"Just-just let him go, Damon. I know you care about him, but this time, it was entirely my fault." There was an unspoken statement - that she wasn't out to hurt an innocent - and it was enough for Damon to temporarily drop his guard.

"Did you ask him because you thought he might lead you to something?"

"Yeah." She stepped closer, almost stumbling over the nearest family portrait of Jeremy and Elena. The guilt was only barely gnawing at his chest. "And he did," she said, with another glance at the picture, "so _please_ don't beat him up over whatever stupid drug deals he thought he made today."

Damon silently looked her over, before he finally acquiesced and let Jeremy go. "Fine. Are you...?"

Jeremy stared at both of them with quiet terror in his eyes. "What the hell are you two talking about?"

Bonnie stepped between them and stared directly into Jeremy's eyes. Watching as his pupils dilated, she then calmly stated, "We were arguing over the game. You've never seen me before. We've never met. If you even see me after we leave, I'm one of Damon's friends." She gestured towards Jeremy, as if to silently ask if Damian had anything to add.

Damon shook his head. He had never been a fan of mentally altering someone's memories, even if it was for a greater cause. "Leave him alone. Get whatever info you need and leave town, or else."

"Or else you'll make my brain go pop?"

He snorted. "Much worse than that." Still, she had actually expressed concern for a mere muggle like Jeremy. Not many vampires wandered around with their souls laid bare for the world to see. "You may not be here to kill people, but I'm not entirely convinced you're good either."

"That's your choice to make," she said softly, releasing Jeremy from her gaze and turning on her heels. "I just hope it's a good one, for your sake."

Just as she headed out the front door and closed it behind her, Aunt Jenna peered up from the oven. "Was that Jeremy's friend? Shame she had to leave so early."

"Yeah," Damon tepidly agreed, his gaze more focused on the (clearly confused) Jeremy. "It really was."

* * *

Other than Jenna burning the hot water, Taco Night was a smashing success. Stefan and Elena came through the back door halfway through; Jenna had prepped her famous cheesecake; and Damon had only finished half a bottle of whiskey. Jeremy, of course, had stolen the bottle and stashed it in another part of the house. It had taken one hell of a locator spell to find it again because that boy was becoming more thorough than a hibernating squirrel.

"I don't know how you do it," Jer groaned, watching as Damon had unearthed yet another bottle from the bathroom cabinet. "Day, I'm seriously starting to worry about you."

Stefan, on the other hand, was impressed. "If you sign him up for the 12 Step Plan again, he might win an award for the most attempts in a year."

"Yeah, because you idiots keep giving me pamphlets!" Damon heaved the loudest groan he could manage, which was hard, considering his kid brothers had just burst into laughter.

"Maybe these _idiots_ wouldn't give you pamphlets if you didn't have a problem," Elena lightly teased, leaning over to grab his plate. "After all, isn't the first step acceptance?"

He nearly swatted her in retaliation. Jenna just tsked at him, like she wasn't the one who encouraged his boozy habits in high school, before she too burst into uncontrollable laughter. Some nights, Damon would whine about what he did to deserve these losers - but now he wasn't so sure they deserved him.

Stefan rose to his feet to help her with the dishes. "I'm gonna head out later. Damon, you can go on ahead."

Damon grinned. "Okay, but you're not allowed to spend the night over either." Jeremy and Jenna just exchanged knowing glances, as Damon finished off his glass of water and reached for the keys. As much as Damon loved his kid brother, boundaries were kind of appropriate at this age. "Trust me, I'll know."

Stefan just shook his head in mock exasperation. "How considerate of you."

"I know, right?" Damon lightly ruffled Stefan's hair before he headed out the door. While he had no doubts that the kid would come home eventually, he also figured this would be a good time to rummage through the basement archives. Clearly, Bonnie had done her homework on him, so it was only appropriate for him to do the same in turn.

If she was a Bennett, her records would be somewhere in the 'B' section. Dad had been particularly meticulous about his files - moreso than Stefan sometimes - so locating each one on his tablet wasn't hard. Damon hadn't thought to scan every volume, so after he had exhausted his hard drive, he reached for another set of keys and headed downstairs.

They had just recently renovated their basement so it less resembled old slave quarters and more a family den, with an extra counter bar and stove for visitors (and alchemy). Dad had said they should enter the 21st century with grace, but if Damon were honest, he was certain Dad wanted to assuage the family's White Guilt. The Salvatores had kept thorough, detailed records of every white settler that had crossed this town - but as Damon slowly realized, every other race might as well have not existed. Which was increasingly problematic when the girl he was chasing also happened to be black.

Not even the slave purchase receipts yielded much. Their messy handwriting didn't help, and Damon didn't know how much Giuseppe penned about the family slaves. The Salvatores had owned a decent-sized plantation, after all. Giuseppe wasn't exactly close with any of them - or so Damon had thought.

A couple of old photos, tucked away in a weather-worn journal, had yielded him some clues. One picture showed Giuseppe playing the piano with great gusto, with his "handmaiden" Miss Bonnie holding the piano pages for him. Even though they must've been standing still for hours, Damon could see the faint traces of smiles on their faces. Miss Bonnie - the slave in the photo - had perfectly resembled the girl in the town square, right down to the dimples in her cheeks. The other, slightly torn on the edges, was Giuseppe holding some young lady's arm. Dust obscured her face, but they seemed relatively happy, from the tightness of her grip on his arm. Thinking nothing of it, Damon pocketed the journal and photos, locked the files, and headed upstairs.

Just as he was about to lock the basement archives, he noticed Stefan precariously watching from the corner of his eye.

"Did Dad ask you to get something?"

Of course. It must've been the only reason Damon dared to venture into the scary archives, to grab one of Dad's old tax returns. How many years had he spoon-fed that stupid lie to his brother? Damon wasn't sure, and he wasn't certain he wanted to know.

"Um, yeah," Damon said slowly, taking care to tuck the photos into his inner coat pocket. "He said he needed me to scan it before I headed to bed."

Now daring to properly face his little brother, Damon could only guess as to the reason Stefan was here, with Damon's favorite lemon bars and decaffeinated black tea. Stefan wanted something big; the question was just what he wanted.

"Do I need to sign more papers for Model UN?" He asked jokingly, staring at the homemade lemon bar. "Because I think I can kill two more trees for you."

Stefan cracked a hint of a smile, despite the obvious worry in his eyes. "No, not at all... though I'm gonna hold you to that one." He'd better; Damon's tree-killing skills didn't always come for free. "I actually wanted to ask you about something. You know a lot about psychics and magic and stuff, right?"

Uh-oh. Damon braced himself for the inevitable - for the lies he'd have to utter just to keep Dad's promise - before Stefan goes, "Because I was reading this novel about alchemists, and I swear, their powers don't sound right. Can you... hear me out a little?"

"Yeah." Damon's shoulders sagged with relief. "Come on, I've got to re-read a paper, but you can tell me all about it in the den." As much as he hated grad school, he didn't have to face the real world while he attended seminars. He could pretend - for just a few years - that he didn't have greater responsibilities like raising a 17 year old boy.

Stefan followed him into the den, set Damon's late-night snack on the table, and relayed him the plot of this new novel he was reading. "There's this guy," Stefan began, lightly tracing a spiral pattern on the table, "This guy who's descended from a family that practices alchemy. He's not one," Stefan said quickly, noticing the look of horror that must've registered on Damon's face, "Or at least, he doesn't think he is.

Then he starts having these really weird dreams, you know? He sees these numbers popping up in his head all the time - 8, 14, 22. I've read a lot of crappy alchemy novels, Damon, and I can't remember a single one where a budding one gets premonitions."

Stefan was right about one thing: typically, alchemists didn't receive omens about the future. That was a warlock's (or wizard's) territory. Dad had hoped that the gene would skip Stefan, that somehow he and Mom wouldn't pass down their gift for magic down... but Damon was starting to wonder if the gift had simply chosen to manifest itself later.

"Alchemists don't, yeah," Damon replied slowly, reaching for the mug of tea. "Psychics get dreams, and sometimes, wizards do too. It kind of depends. Did this guy end up not being an alchemist?"

"Uh..." Stefan's eyes widened, as he stared up at the ceiling, at the clock, at anything that might give him inspiration. "You know what? I have no idea. I didn't exactly get that far."

"You might want to come back to me after the story's over," Damon said with a small chuckle, taking a sip of his tea. Mm, Stefan was getting good at brewing it. "I can't really help you with their skillsets if you haven't gotten halfway through."

"Y-yeah, I guess you're right." Stefan cautiously rose to his feet. "Just out of curiosity, what do you think numbers like that mean?"

In his case? "They're important somehow," Damon ventured to guess. "I don't really know _how_ without any kind of context, but I'd be careful. That character should keep his eyes peeled, because a detail like that isn't put into the narrative for no reason."

Stefan nodded, with the urgency that almost made Damon wish he were testing his brother on this information. The kid should've had a notebook, from the way he was soaking in every word. "Yeah, definitely. You... you don't think the psychic or wizard or whatever's going crazy? That may he worked himself too hard trying to stay ahead in school?"

"No." Damon's entire expression softened, as he broke off a piece of his lemon bar and handed it over to Stefan. "I don't think so. The kid's confused, and scared, but I think those numbers keep popping up in his dreams for a reason, and he should listen to his gut instincts. Those don't usually prove him wrong."

"Thanks." Stefan accepted the lemon bar, taking care to bow his head in gratitude towards his older brother. As much as Damon loved to complain about Stef, he had to admit, his kid bro usually had a good head on his shoulders. "I... uh, I'm sorry if I kept you from working on your thesis. I know it's important."

Damon snorted softly. "Not like I was going to get much done anyhow. You gave me my favorite distractions."

Stefan's smile grew wider, as if Damon had just praised him to the moon, before he turned to leave. Just then, Damon thought he could hear the kid sigh with relief. He must've imagined it, because when he looked up at his brother's retreating figure, all he could sense was the kid's typical brooding attitude. Maybe... maybe he had just misinterpreted the kid's blooming gift for a crappy YA novel.

"Hey! Stefan?"

"Hm?" Stef stopped at the railing, leaning forward to look at his brother better. "What's up?"

"What's the title of the book you're reading? I want to take a crack at it later."

Stef laughed nervously. "You sure? It's not that great."

"Very sure." At the very least, it'd be good for a laugh.

"Um... _The Pulse Towards Tomorrow._" Stefan's shoulders tensed as he gripped the rail just a bit tighter. "I think? I'm remembering the title wrong."

"It's cool." Damon jotted the title down, more for show than any actual intent to find the book. As most grad students knew all too well, he didn't have time to read books for pleasure. "Thanks for the heads-up, bro."

"Sure." Stefan headed into his room and gently closed the door behind him.

Damon took one look at the paper he was supposed to be reading, before sighing and impatiently closing the tab. Stefan might have apologized for distracting Damon, but honestly - after the whole ordeal with Bonnie - anything would've been better than some boring article on Jungian psychology. Facing Your Inner Shadow, bah. With the way his life was going, there'd be more problems than his darkest thoughts by Saturday.

* * *

Two days later, Damon finally found the time to run the title through a Google search. As he suspected, _The Pulse Towards Tomorrow_ wasn't a novel about a budding alchemist. It wasn't even a novel: it was a song from some Japanese video game Jeremy liked. While it was certainly catchy - and his Japanese coworker was thoroughly befuddled - the discovery didn't surprise Damon. Stefan didn't lie without some kind of purpose. Those numbers must've meant a lot more to him than he was letting on.

When Damon had first discovered his powers, he was an angry high school sophomore who desperately wanted acceptance. He had this massive crush on Sheena McCullough, this girl in his History class, and he wanted her to like him so _badly_ that he had dark, desperate thoughts about the poor girl's beau. While everyone has dark thoughts every once in a while, Damon wasn't justifying the pain he wanted to inflict on the kid. Especially not when he woke up one morning and heard that Mr. Logan Fell had harrowingly escaped death. The cause - an explosion from his new, shiny car - had shaken Damon to the core. He had dreamt of hot-wiring that car; of ensuring that Logan would never worm his way into Sheena's heart; and snatching Sheena as his very own at Prom.

His dreams were dashed when in his haste to get to school, his hands had slipped and he'd set the kitchen table on fire. Mom only had to take one look at the fire and the horror in Damon's eyes before she calmly closed her eyes and quenched the flames with her willpower.

"_It's going to be okay, gattino,_" she had told him, holding him in her arms and letting him cry on her shoulder. "_You're going to get through this. Everything will be alright._"

At the time, he hadn't felt like it. He almost killed Logan Fell over some stupid girl! What more proof did he need of his incompetence, if he couldn't even land a date? Yet when he walked into school the next morning, smug Logan had just sneered at him in homeroom, and Mason had tripped the kid over without another word.

"_He deserved it, man,_" Mason had said, as their teacher furiously scribbled down their detention slips. "_Don't regret it one bit._" His silent support had encouraged Damon to not only stay in school, but also continue to participate in varsity soccer. Without friends like Mason and Jenna, Damon wasn't so sure where he'd be today.

Mom would've known what to tell Stefan. She would've known that her little _Stefanizo_ was growing up, and that he could wield his powers responsibly. She would know to look at him and tell him that he was the strongest little fighter she'd ever seen. Dad may not have vocalized his support, but he would have given Stefan a blank leather-bound journal and told him to start writing his own spells, in the exact same manner he had told Damon. Stefan deserved that kind of moral support. It was a damn shame his parents weren't around when he needed them most.

Damon stared at his phone blankly, hovering over his parents' European number. Logically, he should call them. They'd appreciate a heads-up. Heck, maybe Mom could tell him what to do! After a whole minute of hesitation, he dialed their number. Unsurprisingly, he got their voice mail.

"Hey, Mom and Dad. Just wanted to say that Stef's been feeling kind of crazy lately. I think he might be developing you-know-what, so call me whenever you're free."

He hung up, only to stare straight at his coworker's face. "What?" Damon mouthed at her. "First you question my taste in Japanese music, and now you think my bro's got a STD or something? Deal with it, Misao."

Misao's eyes widened, but she said absolutely nothing as she disappeared back under mounds of paperwork. Good, he'd just made a fool of himself again, but at least it wasn't for a stupid cause.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**

I fully admit, formatting might be a bit of a problem with future chapters - I like to show occasional text conversations spread out, but I'd forgotten that this site isn't nearly as fond of them as I am, so it might look a bit wonky this chapter. Please let me know if it's not readable in any way (and if it isn't, man, I might have to move this to AO3, but we shall see!) That said, I'm also taking wild liberties with the general S1 plot, but the main events should hopefully remain the same!

* * *

Stefan had sent Damon a text halfway through the school day.

_** Car broke down. Mind giving me and Tyler a ride home after Model UN? I asked Elena, but she had a cheer competition.**_

Damon only took one look at the text before he sighed. As much as he loved his brother, Stefan had terrible taste in friends. Mason Lockwood may have made poor life choices most of the time, but Mason had a good heart. Mason's kid nephew Tyler, on the other hand, lacked sound moral judgment. Not like Damon expected anything better from Dickwood's only son.

Stefan saw some diamond in the rough that needed a bit of polish, and for better or worse, the two had remained fast friends. Tyler often defended Stef from bullies, and in exchange, Stefan tutored Tyler in Biology and English. Their friendship had systematically broken just about every high school clique barrier known to mankind. If Damon hadn't witnessed it himself, he would've claimed that it was straight out of some kids' TV show.

_sure. i get out at 5, so see you around 5:45?_

_**Sounds good. We'll see you then. :)**_

* * *

Right at 5:45, Damon parked in front of the main entrance of Mystic Falls High and waited for Stefan and Tyler Lockwood to meet him. Not even two minutes later, the boys barreled out the door towards the car. Tyler lacked Mason's height - he was about four inches shorter - but what they didn't share in stature, they shared in facial features. Tyler was growing into that Lockwood jaw, and for a brief second, Damon was reminded of his athletic best friend who didn't give a damn about the world.

Then Tyler gave Damon a casual salute, jolting Damon back to reality. Stefan greeted Damon warmly, with his body leaning slightly forwards as he approached his older brother. "Hey. Sorry, I should've told you I gave Tyler a ride this morning."

"It's cool." Damon shrugged, opening the doors for them. "What happened to your car?"

"I'm... not really sure." Stefan pressed his lips together. "It kind of spontaneously combusted from the inside."

"He saw that new girl make a move on Elena, all lesbian-like," Tyler said with a chuckle, licking his lips as he tossed his backpack inside. "And then bam! The car's engine and tires melted - like, onto the ground - and the parking lot starts to crack, like there's a big earthquake. I figure it was a freak heatwave kind of thing." Noticing Damon's furrowed brow, Tyler added hastily, "No one was hurt, man. Only a melted engine and some Quarterbacks unable to take their cars out of the lot."

Just like when he'd watched Logan mack on Sheena one too many times... except worse, because Logan's car had never melted into the asphalt. Damon cast a wary look towards Stefan. "New girl?"

"Yeah, she was all up in Elena's face." Stefan's face darkened, hunching forward as he pressed his elbows against his knees. "Asking her about the classes they shared, wondering if she was free after school... I know you're supposed to be nice to the new kid, but this girl took it to a new level. Like, almost-asked-her-out kind of level." He gripped his keys tighter, intently staring at them as if they were the most important thing in the world. Damon knew better than to tease Stefan about his mood - even if it didn't suit his (usually) brooding brother.

"She says she's Mrs. Bennett's grandkid," Tyler added after a moment, his glance shifting from Stefan to Damon. "Do you know her? Bonnie Bennett? I haven't seen Ms. Abby for a couple of years, but... I think we would've known if she had other kids."

So Bonnie was planning on staying in town for a while. Great, just what Damon needed: a centuries old high school student actually following through on her job description.

"I... maybe?" Damon strained to affect some confusion in his voice, as if the name came as a total surprise to him. "I'd have to double-check. How'd Model UN go?"

"Eh." Tyler pressed his lips together and quickly but casually shook his hand from left to right multiple times. While Tyler had never been the best at school, he had usually enjoyed politics (even the pretend kind). "We both got what we wanted - Security Council and Press - but we won't be on the same committee."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Better than being on General Assembly. Remember when we had to represent Malaysia, and you didn't realize it was a Muslim country for two whole months? Right up until we were about to leave for Richmond, and then Mrs. Smallwood asks if we thought about dietary restrictions..."

Blood immediately rushed to Tyler's face, causing his cheeks to burn a bright red. "How was I supposed to know?"

"Gee, I would've guessed the call to prayers five times a day made it obvious."

Damon snorted. Sometimes, the Lockwoods seemed so distantly related, and sometimes, they were two identical peas in a pod. God bless that family and their astounding ignorance of world affairs. While Damon still wasn't familiar with the schematics of Model UN, he figured he'd catch an explanation later. Carefully, he scanned the parking lot. "Stef, when did you call the shop? I don't see your car here."

Stefan relaxed his stance slightly, leaning back in his seat. "During lunch. Elena offered us a ride home, but they've got a competition in Whitechapel." Normally Stefan didn't miss a single one. The kid must've been mortified for him to openly acknowledge that he would stay home, rather than watch his girlfriend and childhood friend (and fellow shallow cheerleader) dance their hearts out. Said shallow cheerleader - Caroline - would acknowledge it for sure. If she spent any more time with Damon, he swore, he would lose more brain cells in a month than most people did in a lifetime. "I would've stuck around, but..."

Elena asked him to stay home. Any sane person would've insisted upon it, no matter how stubborn her boyfriend could've been.

"But you promised me you'd keep me company at our first meeting," Tyler said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I really don't know why Dad insists I do these things."

"Maybe because he thinks you'd be good at it?" Stefan's expression looked almost hopeful for a second there.

Tyler snorted. "After the Malaysian debacle? It's a miracle I'm still part of the delegation."

"Considering you did use debacle correctly, maybe there's hope for you after all," Damon responded cheerfully. Even from the rearview mirror, he could see Tyler scowling at him like an angry puppy. "What're your plans for tonight, guys? Wild homework parties?"

Stefan shot him a mystified look. "On a Friday night? More like wild sleepover parties with thrilling action flicks."

It was Friday already? No wonder Misao had rushed out of the office in a hurry - she must've had a hot date. For the first time this month, Damon had no big plans for the weekend. Some weeks, he and Mason had Skype dates with an episode of police procedurals; others, he and Jenna would hit Richmond and for just one night, they could pretend they were two normal 20-somethings out on the prowl. Occasionally, Damon relaxed with a good action thriller and some popcorn. Before Bonnie waltzed into town, Damon would've said that he wanted something more exciting. He would've wanted to live in New York, LA, or Boston or just - or just somewhere that entertained him at all hours of the day. Now, however, a movie sounded like the low-key kind of evening he needed.

Damon snorted. "Like the time you marathoned an entire season of _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_?"

"Those turtles were slamming," Tyler said just as cheerfully, holding up his fingers in an outdated 'cowbunga' motion. "If I remember correctly, a certain someone stuck around for a couple of episodes."

Yeah, against his will!

Completely ignoring Damon's insult towards his show, Stefan released his grasp of Tyler's hand. "Well, do you have plans? If you don't, you could watch something with us. I was thinking a Charlie Chaplin, but Tyler wants something made in the last decade. You'd be the tiebreaker."

"Aw, you sure you wouldn't be up for a good Disney movie? I hear all the girls loved _Tangled._ Or _Snow White_, if we're gonna live in 1935."

Stefan smothered a smile, despite his current frustration at the world. "Didn't Elena have to drag you to the theater by the arms?"

Tyler chuckled, hiding his amused expression behind a hand. "He's got you there, man."

Busted by the one girl on Earth who managed to make him a weak kitten when she wasn't even trying. While Jenna had boosted his confidence, 'Lena had been his adorable little sister who tried too hard to grow up (and even when she tried to act sexy, she just couldn't). Damon shook his head, "Then something made in the last decade. We've seen _Modern Times_ too many times to count."

For a teenage boy, Stefan's tastes sure strayed towards the ancient. No wonder he got along so well with Dad! Just when Damon was certain that his evening plans were cemented with babysitting the boys, his phone buzzed. Stefan reached for it - and in that instant, his eyes widened.

"Wh-what is it?" Tyler peered, snapping in front of Stefan's face. "Earth to Stefan?"

"Oh." Stefan listlessly stared down at Damon's phone. "When I touched you, I saw... a streetlamp. I saw fog, two girls, and those numbers again. 8, 14, 22."

"Hoookay, I think you're out of it." Tyler furrowed his brows in deep thought.

Those words were Damon's cue to drive home faster. Whatever plans he had with the boys could wait. Right now, he needed to drop them off and figure out just what the hell fog, a streetlamp, two girls, and the numbers 8, 14, and 22 had to do with each other. "You might want a nap first, Stef. Who texted me?"

Stefan shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Uh, Jenna. She wanted to know if you could join her at the Grille tonight to celebrate her big presentation."

"Depends. Do you guys want me to stick around or not?"

"Go ahead." Tyler nodded fervently, watching as Stefan typed back a reply. "We'll still be here when you get done." The boys had a point. Usually, when Tyler came over on a Friday night, Tyler crashed on Stef's bed and stayed until mid-Saturday morning (or earlier, if there was sports practice). He paused for a second. "No booze for us either. Not with Stefan being this out of it."

"I'm not going crazy," Stefan protested quietly, placing the phone back in Damon's pocket. "At least, I don't think I am."

Damon could feel his heart slowly crumbling into pieces. "Of course you're not," he replied just as softly and gently. "You're going to be alright, _Stefanizo_."

His kid brother sat up straighter, staring at his older brother with grateful eyes. "Th-thanks."

"It's the truth." Even as Damon kept his eyes focused on the road ahead, he couldn't help sneaking a peek at Stefan. The kid was genuinely shell-shocked, like he couldn't believe his older brother's affection for him. Gee, maybe Damon should've made it more obvious over the years. (Or not.) "Just text me if you losers need anything before I get back."

Parking near the Manor's curb, Damon unlocked the door and watched as the boys headed inside. Once he was certain that they'd safely locked the door, he drove off. Normally, he wouldn't have left Stefan in Tyler's hands... but something about Tyler tonight felt different. Maybe Dickwood Jr. cared more for his friends than he let on.

* * *

Every Friday Night, the Grille bustled with activity. Nearly everyone hung out here, when they didn't feel like staying at home with popcorn and a movie. As Damon stepped through the front double doors, he remembered exactly why he hated this town. He recognized everyone - and he did mean everyone, from Logan Scumfell to Mr. and Mrs. Dickwood - without missing a beat. This town, if he weren't careful, could easily suffocate him.

Since there wasn't a football game tonight, most of the high school set were also here. Damon could see some of Jeremy and some of his classmates playing a game of pool. For once, that kid wasn't stuck at home playing one of those obscure Japanese video games.

"Hey," one of the waitresses said as she came forward.

Damon glanced over at her, pursing his lips when he realized just who was serving him tonight. Tall, brunette, and Jeremy's backstabber in the flesh. Vicki Donovan wasn't exactly someone Damon wanted to be around. Sure, she meant well, and Damon pitied any child of wild Kelly Donovan, but she had hurt Jeremy badly over the summer. Although Jeremy refused to disclose details, his haggard expressions and lethargic manner had spoken for him. Anyone that hurt Jeremy was on Damon's instant blacklist, no questions asked. Maybe that's why Jeremy stayed home - he must've memorized Vicki's shift schedule.

"Hey, Vick." Damon gave her a polite nod of acknowledgement. "What's good tonight?"

She shrugged, affecting as much apathy as she could, considering that she was stuck here on a Friday night. Most kids would disappear to some wild party after dinner - Damon knew from experience - and as much as he loved some underage booze, he knew these kids needed something better in their lives. Couldn't they have a Battle of the Bands or something? Kids liked those outside of bad movies, right?

"The burgers, I guess?" She reached forward and grabbed him a menu. "You'll probably get the usual."

"But of course." Damon smirked, waving the menu away from his face. As much as he loved food, he was pretty peculiar about how it was prepared. As long as the Grille didn't stray from it - or "forgot" to serve him some bourbon - he would be a happy camper.

Vicki glanced cursorily at the tables. "You sitting alone?"

"With Jenna, actually." Damon followed her gaze and groaned internally when he couldn't find his best friend anywhere. In true Sommers fashion, his girl still hadn't arrived. The traffic up by Whitmore must've been worse than usual. "Or well, we planned on sitting together."

He heard the door click, and an all-too familiar voice calling, "Here! Sorry! I'm right here!"

Damon held his tongue, desperately biting back the first witty thing that came to mind. "Hey, Jenna."

She tugged at her violet cardigan, stepping forward so that she was right beside him. "Table for two, Vicki?"

Vicki's entire face lit up the moment she saw Jenna's hand brush against his. Damon swore, if anyone thought they were a couple again, he might actually hex someone. Turning towards the seating area, Vicki swayed slightly in rhythm with the pop song playing overhead. "Sure thing. Follow me!"

She ushered them to an empty booth, setting the menus down as they sat down. As usual, Damon ignored the menu, telling her, "Can you get me a Coke and Jenna an Iced Tea with lemon?" Vicki nodded, heading back towards the bar.

Jenna raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed."

"You really shouldn't be." Damon leaned forward on the table, resting his elbows as he better looked at her. Jenna must've been worried about her presentation today, to curl her hair and cake on an additional layer of make-up. Not that she really needed it; she was beautiful even in her pink kitten pajamas. "We've known each other for how many years now? I'd be more surprised if I didn't know what you liked."

"Yeah, well, I don't see you ordering drinks for Mason."

"Mason also lives in Florida." Damon shot her an exasperated look. "Maybe if we were at Disney World, I'd surprise him with a Sprite on the rocks..."

"He still orders that?" Jenna giggled, leaning back in her seat and reaching for a menu. "You'd think one of his many, many girlfriends would've taught him better."

"Apparently not."

The chatter around them slowly started to fade. Damon had noticed the various cliques running in and out: the cheerleaders were starting to trickle inside; the geeks had commandeered a table for some card game; the drama club was arguing passionately about a script; the stoners (Jeremy included) had seized the pool table for a game; and some group Damon couldn't identify was by the dartboard.

He recognized the girl with the darts before he recognized her friends. She narrowed her eyes, holding her arm steady before throwing it squarely in the bullseye. Her companion, a blond jock, held his arm up for a hi-five. "Bonnie, that was awesome!"

"Aw, thanks Matt!" She returned the hi-five, turning to grab another set of darts. Just as she got the box, her eyes met Damon's.

Damon hastily tore his gaze away from her. As much as he hated the bloodsucker, she wasn't actively killing anyone, and he was technically here to celebrate with Jenna. If she hadn't asked him, he'd be home, making sure that Stefan took the nap he so badly needed. Just in case, Damon sent Tyler a text.

_If Stef's napping, help yourself to whatever. Thanks for watching him._

When Tyler responded only mere seconds later (**_thanks bro. stef's been asleep for a while. if he's not up by 9 i'll grab something from the kitchen myself_**), Damon allowed his shoulders to sag with relief.

"Checking up on Stefan?"

Damon nodded. "Yeah, Tyler's babysitting him." Which sounded kind of weird coming from his lips, considering how much Damon hated Tyler, but Tyler was also Mason's kid nephew. If Damon couldn't trust Dickwood Jr., then by extension, he didn't trust Mason much either.

Jenna nodded in understanding. "Tyler's a good kid. I kinda feel bad that I couldn't make Elena's cheer competition..." She stared guiltily at Jeremy, watching as he sunk some pool balls into the net.

"In Whitechapel?" Damon lazily followed her line of sight. "Elena said they suck this year." Or maybe that was Fell's Church. Damon didn't exactly pay Elena much attention when she went on one of her crazy cheerleading spiels. He had intended to reassure Jenna, but she just slumped further into her seat.

"Yeah, well, Miranda and Grayson always went. Videotaped the whole thing too - or at least, put Jeremy in charge of it. Not sure why he's back early..."

As if right on cue, Jeremy set his pool stick down and headed back towards them. "Did something happen? You two look like you just killed someone."

Damon leaned back in his seat and bared his teeth as much as he could. "Yeah, it was fantastic. You should've seen where we stashed the body."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "In the trunk, right? It's always the trunk." Turning towards Jenna, he stuffed his hands lazily in his sweatshirt pocket. "The competition ended early. I got the entire thing on tape, by the way. Elena and Caroline said they'd drop by later, if you and Damon'll be around then."

"They let you come by yourself?" Damon asked, in mock incredulity.

"I'm not five." Jeremy snorted. "You guys seen Vicki yet? I thought she was serving you guys."

Come to think of it, she hadn't returned with their drinks. Jenna shook her head. "Not in the last ten minutes or so. I don't think she normally takes this long." She really didn't, especially when she indirectly supported a couple. Her affection was almost nauseating – and Damon would know, considering how much she had fawned over her kid brother's new girl these past few months.

Damon turned his head towards the bar. He recognized the bartender, Ben, from various school functions, but Vicki was absolutely nowhere to be seen. "I'll check up on her." He rose from his seat, heading towards the front of the restaurant.

"She might be on a smoke break!" Jeremy called a little too loudly, causing the blond jock with Bonnie to narrow his eyes at the poor kid. Jeremy just glowered at him in return before scooting next to Jenna. "What? Matt, you know she likes her cigarettes."

It was official: Mystic Falls really needed some kind of cultural activity that wasn't drugs, cigarettes, or wild teen parties. Damon tilted his head at her. "How do you know?"

Jeremy nervously rubbed his elbows. "Long story."

"You memorized her work schedule?"

Jeremy winced. "Why would you think that?"

Damon just sighed before tapping the nearest waitress on the shoulder and asking about Vicki. ("Nope, sorry," one of them called, casually pouring water for one table.) He moved onto the next - "check the back" - and he'd maybe just started to ask the third before he stared at the small crowd of people milling by the door. Just how understaffed was this place?

He headed out the front door, casually brushing past Elena and one of her bubbly, blond friends as he surveyed the front entrance. A couple was quietly kissing on the bench, and a few townspeople passed them on the way to some church event... beyond them, no one was in sight.

"Probably in the back," Damon grumbled to himself quietly, heading towards the alleyway behind the restaurant. As he did, a light fog settled over the city. Weird. He would've remembered it raining earlier. He involuntarily glanced up at the Grille's lights. In the fog, they were indistinguishable from the lamp posts. Inhaling sharply, he then clasped his hands together and broke through the low-hanging clouds. Just as the mist subsided, he watched as a girl seductively stepped closer towards someone else. "Aw, you sure you don't remember anything?"

"I already told you, I don't! I don't know anything about your mom or that stupid tomb!" Vicki shrunk back underneath the square's clock, holding her arms out protectively.

Damon couldn't move quickly enough; the fog settled again, just as the newcomer bit straight into Vicki's neck. Damon could just barely make out the red '22' embroidered on her sleeve as she savored each sip.

He pushed through the fog and focused his attention on the newcomer. She howled, clutching her brain as she released her meal to the ground.

As the clouds disappeared again, she forcibly looked up, glaring at Damon as she mouthed, "You're next." Lowering her head, so that she could hide behind her mane of wavy, jet-black hair, she then pushed Damon backwards before running off.

There wasn't time to focus on the vampire. Involuntarily glancing up at the clock, Damon stared blankly at the time. 8:14 PM. Shit. Shitshitshit, this was so not what he envisioned when Stefan had lost his marbles. Cautiously, Damon reached for his phone and mentally recited a protection ward before feeling her pulse. Good, he could hear her heartbeat. Just in case, he channeled some of his energy into her to ensure she'd fight long enough to reach the hospital.

"Vicki? Vicki!"

Jeremy frantically ran out the back entrance, turning his head in every direction before he finally noticed Damon – and the young woman lying beside him. He stopped straight in his tracks, hesitantly kneeling beside her. Before Damon could even react, Jeremy had already scooped her into his arms. It must've been the adrenaline - normally, this kid couldn't even benchpress 25 pounds.

"What're you staring at? Call 911, Damon!"

Damon could only stare at the blood streaming down from her neck. Even with all of his magic, he couldn't protect one innocent human. Struggling to keep his hands steady, he shakily pulled out his phone and called for emergency services. "Hi? Yes, I'd like to call an ambulance in front of the Mystic Grille, we've got a girl with acute blood loss..."

As he was straightening details, Jeremy motioned for him to move to the front of the restaurant. Carrying her as quickly as he could, Jeremy hiccuped, his gaze focused on his ex-girlfriend's face. "I-is she gonna be okay? I-I thought she was taking forever with the drinks, and she never takes this long, and… and…" His voice cracked. "I'm sorry I left Jenna, but I…"

Damon wanted so badly to just ruffle the kid's hair and reassure him that everything would be alright, but honestly, he wasn't entirely sure. Not when he had just learned that there were two little high school vampires running around. Even though Vicki's blood had clotted by now, she hadn't opened her eyes. Damon couldn't exactly determine if she'd joined the grand world of the undead without alerting Jeremy to his intentions. "I hope so. Let's see when the paramedics get here."

Jeremy slowly nodded, with a levity that Damon really wished he could forget. Jeremy was what, 14? He was too young to have such haunted eyes.

An ambulance had rolled up in front of them, and as the siren continued to wail, a crowd started to form near the door. Damon could make out Jenna's, Elena's, and Bonnie's confused faces as he and Jeremy gently placed Vicki on the stretcher.

Matt – Vicki's poor kid brother - rushed straight to them. "Vicki?! Vicki?" Then his piercing glare turned on Damon. "What happened?"

"We don't know, man," Jeremy called in defense, rushing to take the brunt of Matt's verbal abuse.

Damon gently pushed Jeremy to the side. "Neck piercing gone wrong? I'd say an animal attack, but we're downtown..."

"Hasn't stopped some of the more vicious ones before." Matt lowered his fists, inhaling sharply and turning to face the paramedics. "Is... is she going to be okay?"

"We hope so," one of the paramedics called, motioning for Matt to follow them inside. "It's too early to tell."

Bonnie, still slack-jawed with horror, immediately pushed back through the crowd and fled through the side. ("Bonnie!" he could hear Elena call, as she too chased after her. "Bonnie, it's okay to be scared!") Damon watched them run past the stunned bystanders and towards the forest before he gently embraced Jeremy.

"If you even say it's gonna be okay..." Jeremy clung to Damon's shirt, nearly suffocating him as he rested his head on Damon's shoulder.

Damon forcefully bit down on his tongue. Thankfully, Matt spoke up for Damon just as he sat down in the ambulance. "What if I say it, Jeremy? Huh?"

Despite the tears streaming down Jeremy's face, he held the smallest trace of a smile. "Then you're just as terrible."

Matt and Damon exchanged knowing smiles before the door slammed shut and the ambulance sped back to the hospital. Jenna rushed towards them, pushing through a circle of onlookers before she wrapped her arms around her nephew. "I'll get you home."

Reluctantly letting go, Jeremy slung an arm across Jenna's shoulders. "Y-yeah."

Jenna pursed her lips, bowing her head slightly as she looked at Damon. "Let's take a raincheck?"

"Sounds good." He dismissed her apology with a wave of his hand. "I'll check on Elena and her friend before I head home - and give her a ride if I need to." For once, Tyler and Stefan had the good sense to miss all the excitement.

"Got it. See you Tuesday!" Jenna called, ushering Jeremy back to her car.

Damon waited for them to drive off before he tore towards the forest. While Bonnie may have not been the thirsty bloodsucker looking for a drink tonight, she'd lead him straight to Elena and the answers he sought.


End file.
